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Curriculum relevance and graduate career: a tracer study of Cemba, Cempa and industrial mathematics graduates


CK Osei
IK Dontwi
KG Otchere
AA Singye

Abstract

The study traced the graduates of CEMBA, CEMPA and MSc. Industrial Mathematics programmes in the distance learning mode at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Kumasi from 2010 to 2012. The descriptive survey method was used to assess the large and scattered graduate population. The main instrument used in gathering data was a questionnaire. A face to face interview with employers was also conducted in order to support data from graduate respondents. A total of 450 graduates participated in the study. The SPSS statistical software was used to generate results from the acquired quantitative data. The findings revealed that majority of the graduates in the three programmes were employed in the public sector, and mainly in the field of education. The Graduates found the content of their programme relevant to their career. The results also showed that job performance of graduates improved after their study. Work supervisors rated the graduates very high in terms of job performance indicators such as 'improved work competence' and 'team working ability'. Based on the findings, it is recommended that the Institute of Distance Learning and the Department of Mathematics utilise the findings/result of the study to review their curricula to meet workplace demands.

Keywords: IDL-KNUST, graduates, tracer study, job performance, relevance.


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eISSN: 0855-0395